23 Weeks

How far along: 23 weeks
Size comparison:  Baby is the size of a large mango, 11 inches long and just over a pound.

Baby bump:  I was wearing my white lab coat today at work and a patient asked if I was expecting... Yes, it's getting bigger.

Gender Prediction:  Still saying boy.... But really, what the heck do I know?  I'm sure it will end up being a girl.

Weight gain: 13 lbs.  Feels like 30 some days.

Maternity clothes: Maternity shirts and leggings, regular pants with Bella band.

Stretch marks: None so far!

Belly button in or out:  Innie

Wedding rings on or off:  On... But my engagement ring is kinda tight some days.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well, actually, but I never feel like I get enough of it.

Best moment this week:  Making progress on the nursery!  Crib and artwork have been ordered, and some room accessories have been purchased.  I also think that we have decided on an OB!  Annnd, last but not least, my glasses came in, and I can actually see. It's a miracle.

Worst moment this week:  Bad pregnancy/baby dreams... Can't the funny ones come back?

Miss anything:  I still want my energy back.... And a craft beer wouldn't hurt, either.

Movement:  Baby is a movin' and a shakin'!  Feeling the movement all over my tummy these days, from down low, to my sides and up past my belly button!  I can't ever predict where I will feel the movement.

Cravings:  Fruit and anything spicy.  I've really been craving Burger King's Angry Whopper, which is kind of weird considering I've only ever had one, which happened to be after a night of partying for my bachelorette party in the Power and Light District.

Queasy or sick:  Pretty good, overall!

Happy or moody: Happy mostly, although I've been a little hypersensitive lately.  I feel like everyone is mad at me or upset with me, or like I'm always doing something wrong.  Amazing how pregnancy can turn a woman a little crazy! ;-)

Looking forward to:  Letting my nesting phase continue to take over!  Ready to get this house organized and clean!  So excited to buy storage and label the pantry this weekend. :)   

22 Weeks

How far along: 22 weeks, 5 days (Basically 23 weeks at this point.  Whoops.)
Size comparison:  Baby H. is the size of a spaghetti squash.  (Not a clue how big this really is.)  My sources tell me that baby H. is currently approximately 11 inches long (ohhh myyyy goodness!) and about one pound!  Baby is now starting to look like a miniature newborn!!

Baby bump:  I will let you be the judge of that.  (Although I will admit I do try to play up the bump as much as humanly possible for pics.)

Gender Prediction:  Boy.  Side note: At our appointment today, the doctor went to listen to the heartbeat, as usual.  Naturally, the babe wanted to be difficult and kept moving around, forcing the doctor to try and follow his/her movements for a reading.  The baby even kicked the doppler wand at one point, to which the doctor laughed and (jokingly) said "Wow, you truly do have a very active baby!  It's got to be a boy with all that movement."  Our doctor also votes boy. ;-)  However, heart rate was 150.

Weight gain: 13 lbs officially.  I need to stop looking at the scale.  However, I did ask the doctor because I feel like my weight really jumped up the past few weeks.  She said that my weight is absolutely normal for almost 23 weeks, and a weight jump at around 20 weeks is very common.

Maternity clothes: Maternity shirts from here on out for the length and regular pants with the Bella band.  My days of the Bella band are nearing, I'm afraid.

Stretch marks: Nope.  Slathering on the Mustela cream and drinking 70+ oz of water per day.  Please, please, please work! ;-)

Belly button in or out:  Still in but growing more shallow by the day.

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep: Overall, sleep is good... Last night, however, was terrible.  I woke up at 1:30am with Chalupa kicking away, and then again at 3:45am to a 45 minute step dancing routine.  It was also at this time that I woke up starving.  Like, ready to eat Thanksgiving meal, hungry.  So I did what any good preggo would do and high-tailed it to the kitchen for some fruit, crackers and cheese.

Best moment this week:  Meeting Baby Hawk's future best friend for life, Harrison!  ...And seeing my best friend in her new role as a Mommy.  She's pretty amazing.  Also, I'm finally able to tolerate, and actually enjoy my perfume!  Sometimes it's the little things when you're pregnant.  Annnnd side note - optometrist solved the the eye twitch mystery!  New glasses with a special lens for the left eye are coming my way in a few days.  Unfortunately, my problem cannot be corrected with contacts.  Bum deal.

Worst moment this week:  A little heartburn?  My sinus problems have been exceptionally bad this week, but overall, this week has really been great!  ...Aside from work...  I've been praying for the week to end after it started on Tuesday.

Miss anything:  My energy.  And a tasty glass of wine after a rough day at work.

Movement:  Constantly.  Little Hawk is gonna be a soccer playa! :)

Cravings:  Fruit!!!  My love for fruit has finally returned!!!  I spent the last few months choking my fruits down because I knew that I needed them, but now I crave them!  Tops on the list include cherries, grapes, pineapple, raspberries and apples.

Queasy or sick:  Feeling great! ...Tired, but great!

Happy or moody: Happy!  

Looking forward to:  Finalizing a new OB.  I'm beyond sad that the worlds greatest OB is going to be moving to Wisconsin in March and will not be able to deliver our baby...  I feel like the biggest idiota calling new doctors offices and explaining that I am currently 5.5 months preggo trying to find an OB.  Awesome.   

Iowa City

Iowa City is, hands down, one of my favorite places on Earth.  It's where I spent 5 of the best years of my life, earned my undergrad degree, spent countless hours at bars (Brother's), celebrated Iowa athletics (win or lose, we still booze!) met my future hubby, and got engaged.  Iowa City is, indeed, the best of what's around.

This past weekend, we were lucky enough to make a trip back to our beloved college town to visit Baby Hawk's future BFF (or hubby), eat at some of our favorite establishments, and take in an Iowa Basketball game (ranked #10, baby!)

First stop on our tour de Iowa City was Atlas and their famous burritos.  If you haven't had a burrito from Atlas, I suggest you high-tail it there the next time you're in town.  My favorites are the Buffalo Chicken and Memphis BBQ.  These babies are not only filled with lots of meat, but mashed golden potatoes and topped with fried onion strings.  Need I say more?  I couldn't decide which one I wanted... So I did precisely what my hubby suggested:  I ordered both (one to take home.)  I knew I married him for a reason. ;-)

Memphis BBQ.  Heaven.

Next stop, Harrison's house!  Bryce and I finally got to meet our very good friends, Meghan and Nick's, sweet little boy.  I might be biased, but I think he's absolutely perfect.  He also happens to make the greatest expressions any time you take out your camera... 

I die a little.  The face.  The fedora.  Perfection.

We spent the entire day talking babies and hanging out with sweet little H.  We cannot wait until until baby H. makes his/her debut to join in on the fun!

Last stop on our tour was Carver Hawkeye Arena to cheer the #10 team in the nation on to victory over Minnesota.  It's the first time in a long time that we have had a good team, and it feels so so good!  Side note: one of my favorite things about Carver is the raspberry/chocolate twist cone, it is to die for.  If you're ever at an event in Carver, but sure to get one!  Honestly, it's one of the only reasons I went to games in college (because we were so terrible.)  Just make sure that if you're going to wait until half time to get it, leave your seat with three minutes or more left in the half.... Or you will wait in the longest.line.ever.  I'm glad I remembered the rule or they would have had to deal with one hungry preggo with a major craving...

A sight for sore eyes.

21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks, 5 days 
Size comparison:  Baby H. is the length of a carrot.  About 10.5 inches long and 12 ounces.

Baby bump:  Oh yes!  People at work have started commenting on/talking about my bump, feeling it... It is loud and proud these days.

Gender Prediction:  Boy

Weight gain: 12 lbs.  Dun dun dunnnn. 

Maternity clothes: Maternity shirts, maternity leggings, regular pants with the Bella Band. 

Stretch marks: No.  Not now.  Hopefully not ever.... Fingers crossed!

Belly button in or out:  Still in.

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep: Quite well!  Waking up around 12:30, 1:00am to Chalupa holding tumbling practice in my tummy... Other than that, sleeping well.  Almost too well 

Best moment this week:  Nursery paint near completion (thanks, Bryce!) with nursery rocker/glider purchased. 

Worst moment this week:  I started to get some occasional dizziness... Blood pressure dropping a little low.  My right eye has been twitching since Saturday so I have an eye exam this coming Monday.  My fatigue has started coming back this week as well... Although not nearly as bad as it was first trimester (thank goodness!), it is making busy days at work rather tough.  I might be falling apart.

Miss anything:  Wearing perfume, running, my old clothes, a day without back and tailbone pain.  

Movement:  All day, every day.  Especially at night!  Chalupa is a night owl.  I also started feeling movement up by my belly button... So... Different!

Cravings:  Anything spicy (the hotter the better!) and raspberry tea.

Queasy or sick:  Feelin' good in the neighborhood!

Happy or moody: Happy mostly... but there were a couple nights where I was moody as all get out.  One night, I went to the bank to cash a check after work... After I got to the bank, I realized that I left the check at work.  Tears might have been involved.  I wish I could say I were joking.

Looking forward to:  More work on the nursery and continuing the search for a daycare provider.  I also have to say I'm looking forward to more pregnancy dreams.   Lately they've been pretty comical.  Last night, I had a dream that Chalupa was born in a janky hospital and had to be transported to the "NICU" which really just looked like an old-school hospital nursery (he was actually very healthy.)  The murse that was taking care of our baby decided that he would be the one to name our child, and chose the name Chuck Reynolds.  He even made a birth certificate and told me that it was too late to change the name.  WTF.  

Boy vs Girl - Gender Predictions

Our time to find out Baby H's gender has come and gone, so I thought it would be fun to turn to some old wives tales to satisfy my curiosity of if we are having a boy or girl.  Here is where we stand:

Baby sitting high or low:  Right now, I consider the baby to be low.  Result:  Boy

Low, right?  21 weeks!

Clear skin or blemishes:  Clear skin  Result: Boy

Cravings:  Salty, sour, and spicy  Result: Boy

Husband with more brother or sisters?  Sisters  Result: Girl

Moisture status of hands:  Very dry  Result: Boy

Temperature of feet compared to pre-pregnancy:  More cold  Result: Girl

Wedding ring movement:  Circular motion  Result:  Boy

Baby's heart rate:  150  Result: Girl

Chinese birth chart result:  Boy

Well folks, there ya have it!  According to the old wives tales that I came across, there is a 66% chance that Baby Hawk is a boy.  What do you think - boy or girl?!  I love hearing other people's guesses and reasons why they think what they do!  

20 weeks

How far along:  20 weeks, 4 days!

Baby bump: Oh, yes! I popped outta nowhere...But in my defense, I had just finished dinner before this pic was taken.

Gender Prediction:  Boy!  I say boy now more than ever.

Weight gain:  10 lbs.

Maternity clothes:  Thisclose to maternity clothes! Ahh!

Stretch marks:  No, thank goodness.  Just started using Mustela stretch mark cream.  It probably won't work, but it makes me feel better knowing that I'm trying.

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Sleep:  Good, for the most part...  Although I've been exhausted the past couple days.  Last night, Chalupa (yep, Baby H) woke me up around 1:30am because he/she decided to have an impromptu womb dance party.  I tried to get Bryce to feel, but he wanted no part of it... I got sort of mad that he didn't want to feel, until I saw the clock and realized it was 1:30am.  He was sleeping, out cold. My bad. 

Best moment this week:  Our ultrasound and knowing that everything was normal!  Momma could finally breathe a sigh of relief.  Until the next thing I can start worrying about...

Worst moment this week: My tailbone and lower back pain reached an all-time high this week.

Miss anything:  I salivate at the thought of Boulevard.

Movement: All the time!  Best part of my day :)

Cravings:  Anything and everything spicy.  The hotter, the better!  And, pepperoni pizza! (Pepperoni, who am I?!)

Queasy or sick:  Feeling great!

Happy or moody:  Happy!

Looking forward to:  Working on the nursery!  Bryce is going to start painting the nursery this weekend, and we are trying to finalize choices for nursery furniture. 

Introducing, Baby Hawk!

....In utero. :)  Baby Hawk's 20 week ultrasound was today.  We can hardly believe we have reached the half-way mark.  According to the doctor, from what he could see, the baby is developing perfectly normal from an anatomical standpoint!  What.  A.  Relief.  I have been worrying about this day for weeks, praying, basically every other minute of every day, that the baby was healthy and developing well.  We got a great shot of all the babe's body parts (well, except for those identifying gender!) and it was b-e-a-utiful.   From the nose, to the chambers of the heart, to the little fingers and toes.  The doctor knew I was a speech pathologist specializing in voice and swallowing disorders, and very kindly zoomed in to show me Baby H.'s esophagus, larynx, vocal cords, and we got to see him/her swallow!  I have no words to describe how wonderful the experience was.  I naturally had tears streaming down my face the entire time.  Go figure.  I've pretty much decided that I will cry every other day for the rest of my life.  Or at least this pregnancy.

Baby H. measured at 20 weeks and 3 days, and is currently 12 oz. Which, make me wonder, if baby is only 12 oz, where did the other 8 lbs, 4 oz come from?! ;-)  Baby's head and body are pushing quite nicely into my abdominal wall (already) as well as my bladder, which I am guessing is why I am feeling discomfort, and possibly why I started feeling movement relatively early for a first time momma.   Then again, I'm not a doctor and really have zero clue what I'm talking about.

Apparently Baby H. was more than willing to show the "goods."  They asked us at the beginning if we wanted to know the sex, and we said "No."  Stupid.  When they got to that part of the exam, we were asked to look away.  You have no idea how hard it was not to look.  Patience and the ability to tolerate surprises is not my forte.  I wasthisclose to taking a quick peek.  But alas, I did not.  Now we won't know for another 20 weeks until the baby makes his/her real world debut!  Ugh.  Yay?!  (Momma still says boy!)

Finally, a few pics from today's photo session (Yes, they are pictures of pictures.  It's the best I got!)

Profile.  It's tough to see the profile in its entirety because it's smooshed up against my abdominal wall.  We got a better shot of the profile and the face straight on, but the doctor wasn't able to capture it in time.

Foot.

Nose (the right-most structure that is identifiable.)  Sweet little nose. :)

Hand. 

I would put the rest of our pictures up, but to be honest, I can't identify what is in the picture.  Mom of the year award, already.